Courtney and Ben’s Manor Rooms wedding was black tie and elegant from the very first glass of prosecco. By the evening it had turned into one of the best parties of my year. As their wedding photographer, I knew from the morning this was going to be a brilliant day!

The morning in the cottage

Courtney got ready in the cottage at the venue with her bridesmaids and family. Her bridesmaids did her makeup while Paige Lauren styled her hair. With prosecco on the go and a row of colourful wellies by the door, it made the whole morning feel relaxed.

Then came the reveal. Courtney’s dad saw her in her dress for the first time and that hug said everything.

A few minutes later her bridesmaids were wiping away happy tears too. Moments like that are why I love the morning so much. She looked stunning, with a second dress waiting for later in the day.

A Garden Room ceremony

The Manor Rooms sits on the Drewton Estate near South Cave, only a short drive from Hull, with views across the Yorkshire Wolds. Inside it’s chandeliers, panelled walls and big windows. For a wedding photographer that means beautiful natural light in every room.

The ceremony was a short walk away in the Garden Room. Its huge windows flood the space with light, so it feels bright and airy whatever the weather. If it rains, nothing changes, which is handy for a wedding near Hull.

Courtney walked in with her dad and Ben was beaming. Her bridesmaids couldn’t stop smiling the whole way through.

Garden games and portraits on the estate

Afterwards the party atmosphere took over. Guests played garden games on the lawn, including beer pong, while the drinks flowed.

We did the group photos my usual way, nice and fast. Ben wanted to enjoy his wedding and not get caught up in formalities. It’s how I like to work, capturing it all as naturally as possible with very little posing.

Then we headed out for couple photos in the fields and the woodland, with the Wolds rolling away behind them. We finished at the Hunter’s Lodge, which looks back over the venue. It’s a quiet spot and it gave them a few minutes on their own.

Wedding dress and veil hanging on a patterned headboard in the cottage at The Manor Rooms

Bridal shoes, perfume and wedding rings laid out with white roses on the morning of the wedding day

Bride Courtney smiling in her white robe as her hair is finished, then laughing with her bridesmaids over prosecco

Courtney and her bridesmaids in satin robes sitting together on the bed in the cottage at The Manor Rooms

Bride Courtney being helped into her wedding dress, seen through the bedroom doorway in the cottage

Courtney smiling over her shoulder in her wedding dress with its big bow on the morning of her wedding

Courtney's dad seeing her in her wedding dress for the first time, then wiping away a tear

Bride hugging her dad tightly after he sees her in her wedding dress for the first time

Close up of the bride looking up while a bridesmaid dabs away her happy tears

Three guests wiping away happy tears as they see Courtney in her wedding dress for the first time

Guests seated under the chandeliers in the bright Garden Room at The Manor Rooms before the ceremony

Bride walking to her ceremony at The Manor Rooms while a bridesmaid holds her long train off the ground

Groom Ben smiling in black tie as he waits at the front of the Garden Room

Courtney walking down the aisle with her dad towards Ben in the Garden Room at The Manor Rooms

Bride and groom smiling at each other during their vows in the Garden Room at The Manor Rooms

The first kiss in front of their guests, then Courtney and Ben laughing together straight after

Bridesmaids in black dresses holding white bouquets and smiling as they watch the wedding ceremony

Courtney and Ben walking out as a married couple with the bride cheering and her arm in the air

Bride and groom on the lawn with their French bulldog dressed in a little tuxedo

The full bridal party in black dresses and black tie with the Yorkshire Wolds behind them

Courtney with her bridesmaids in long black dresses holding white bouquets near South Cave in East Yorkshire

Ben with his groomsmen in black tie on the path, then laughing with one of his groomsmen

A champagne tower and a party into the early hours

The reception room was set with black and white linen, white roses and a floral arch behind the top table. Food came first, then the speeches, with a singer performing during the meal.

Instead of cutting a cake, Ben poured a champagne tower. Courtney changed into her second dress for the evening.

Courtney and Ben promised a big party and they weren’t joking. A saxophonist joined in after the first dance and the dance floor never emptied.

When the venue called last orders, nobody was ready to stop. So everyone headed off to an after party. What an amazing night!

Photographer’s tips

Tips for a Manor Rooms wedding

Allow 15 to 30 minutes for couple photos.The fields, the woods and the Hunter’s Lodge are all a short walk away.
Make the most of the Garden Room.Its huge windows give soft, bright light for your ceremony photos.
Plan some garden games.Beer pong on the lawn keeps guests happy during the drinks reception.
Swap the cake for a champagne tower.It makes a brilliant moment in the evening.

The team behind the day

Suppliers

VenueThe Manor Rooms
HairPaige Lauren Bridal Hair
MakeupThe bridesmaids
DressIvory Outlet
FlowersPosy and Peonies
SuitsSlaters
Ceremony musicSam Dawson Music
Evening musicStart to Finish Music

Wedding reception room at The Manor Rooms set with black and white linen and a white floral arch

White rose table flowers on a black runner beside a place setting with a folded black napkin

A clear table number among white flowers beside a printed menu card on a black napkin

Courtney and Ben walking into their wedding breakfast at The Manor Rooms with her bouquet in the air

A bridesmaid giving a speech while Courtney and Ben laugh at the top table in front of the floral arch

A speech beside the white flower arch, then guests laughing at their table during the wedding breakfast

Bride and groom walking away from the Hunter's Lodge at The Manor Rooms with her veil flying in the wind

Courtney and Ben sitting close together on the bench at the Hunter's Lodge during their couple portraits

Bride and groom holding each other on a woodland path among tall trees on the Drewton Estate

Couple portrait of the bride and groom on a farm track with the Yorkshire Wolds stretching out behind

Bride and groom standing in front of a red tractor in the fields near The Manor Rooms

Courtney and Ben sharing a kiss beside old farm machinery in the East Yorkshire countryside

Close up couple portrait of the bride and groom smiling at each other on their Manor Rooms wedding day

Bride and groom standing apart in a wide green field beside the woods in the Yorkshire Wolds

Courtney smiling as she walks hand in hand with Ben through the long green crop

Courtney and Ben pouring champagne into the top of their champagne tower at The Manor Rooms

Courtney smiling beside the champagne tower, then the newlyweds taking their first sips

Bride and groom laughing as they dance apart during their first dance at The Manor Rooms

A guest in a burgundy bow tie with his arm in the air, then two friends cheering with a drink raised

Bride and groom singing along together on the dance floor at their East Yorkshire wedding

Friends in black tie singing with their arms around each other, then three guests singing to the camera

A guest in glasses dancing with his arms out wide, then two friends singing on the dance floor

A guest in a pale blue dress laughing by the bar, then a guest in a grey waistcoat dancing with his arm in the air

Three friends cheering at the camera with a drink held out, then guests dancing together at the evening party

Two guests with big smiles for the camera on the dance floor at the evening party at The Manor Rooms

Courtney up on shoulders above the dance floor, pointing and laughing at the end of the night at The Manor Rooms

What The Manor Rooms is like as a wedding venue

The Manor Rooms is a wedding venue where everything is close together, so nobody spends the day walking between buildings and I can be in the right place for every moment. Getting ready on site in the cottage, as Courtney did, keeps the morning calm too.

The Manor Room is where the meal and the party happen. It has chandeliers, a feature bar and a dance floor, with doors that open onto the Terrace. The Terrace looks out across the Wolds and it is a lovely spot for guests with a drink. In good weather you can hold your ceremony out there. A few steps below is the Boma, a fire pit with seating that comes into its own once the sun goes down.

There is also the Orangery, reached through an Italianate garden, with floor to ceiling mirrors and its own courtyard. Upstairs, the Library is a lounge with velvet sofas that overlooks the Manor Room. With exclusive use you get a private bridal room as well.

As a Manor Rooms wedding photographer, that variety is what I love. There is always a fresh backdrop a minute away and somewhere bright to go if the weather turns.

Courtney and Ben, thank you for a gorgeous day and an amazing night.

Getting married at The Manor Rooms or anywhere near Hull? Have a look at my wedding photography packages or get in touch to check your date.

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